The Effect
by LovelyMinx
Summary: While walking home one night after work, Sabo comes across a seemingly mute boy living at the dump who is injured and on the run. After a not so warm and friendly rescue, Sabo soon discovers the dangers of having this boy around. But will he give him up or face the effects that are sure to follow? AU
1. Chapter 1

Sniffles. I missed these guys...

* * *

 _The butterfly effect is something that rarely ever happens. Basically the butterfly effect is when you do something small, but it could have a huge effect in the future._

 _..._

Sabo pushed his small silver key into the bronze lock and turned, pushing open the large heavy red door, the blond twenty-two year old stepped into the chilly apartment. The place smelled like stale dust and soot from the fireplace, but that was the least of Sabo's worries. The reason being that he had to go _back_ into work later on which sucked because he had a billion other things to do. Koala called him again last night but as usual he dismissed the call. His girlfriend of almost a year was worried about him dearly, being stressed did nothing to help a slowly crumbling relationship. He did love her and wanted to spend time with her but his job and boss had different plans for him.

He sniffed the air again and made a disgusted face. He stepped forward in the dark to find the light switch but his foot made contact with something cold and mushy, he quickly reached for the small table lamp and soon discovered that the thing he stepped in was a half-eaten pizza, the garlic sauce giving off a horrible odour. Damn Ace…

He was supposed to clean this up last night, why was his brother such a slob at times? Normally Sabo planned to have a quick nap before work later but it seemed like it would have to wait.

The blond hung up his coat and got to work. He threw out the pizza and its box along with the horrible garlic into the trash that was located outside his apartment, wouldn't want the smell to linger. After the clean-up was done, Sabo planted himself down onto the couch and checked his phone.

 _19:48pm._

Maybe he _could_ have a quick nap before work? Yes, so Sabo set an alarm on his phone and settled down and closed his eyes.

The now cleaned apartment fell silent, the sound of a clock ticking somewhere in the kitchen was its only sound.

Sabo and Ace were friends since childhood; Sabos parents were abusive towards the young blond while Aces parents passed away while he was still a baby. The boys became close but they had completely different personalities. Sabo loved to read and to be in silent peaceful environments while his raven haired brother preferred the…who would you put it? The party life. Hmph, Sabo guessed it was because of the lack of parent figures in Aces life he acted like a kid sometimes. Ace was always out partying or getting himself into some kind of trouble while Sabo simply scolded him over and over. But although Ace seemed like a carefree slob, he had heart. He lusted after his co-worker Marco, cared for Sabo and became concerned whenever the blond man had a problem and would go to the end of the earth for the people he cared about.

What only felt like ten measly minuets, Sabos phone alarm trilled loudly jerking the man awake forcefully.

" _Damnit!"_ He rolled off the couch and cringed upon seeing an empty take out container hidden from sight under it. Sighing he got up and grabbed his coat which held his wallet and left to go to work.

…

Sabo stood behind the bar, pouring drinks for a load obnoxious group of people. He hated working weekend…you would always see people getting wasted and eventually start fighting. But least he wasn't the one to break it up, that made him smile at least.

He worked at this bar two years and hated it but hey it put bread on the table and he wasn't alone. Makino worked here with him as well and the woman would keep him entertained but right now she was off having a baby leaving the poor blond alone here to suffer…

If it wasn't a fight, it was a person under the age of eighteen trying to get a drink without any form of identification leading to another fight.

While Sabo was busy with his thoughts he failed to see a large brutish man walk in through the doors, making whoever was once there scatter like a rat. The man was fat and hairy, his red shirt unbuttoned while his greasy hair was tucked untidily behind his ears. People looked his way and whispered, either the man didn't care or simply didn't hear them; he made his way to the bar.

"Oi you Blondie" His voice was gruff, and loud and his breath smelled like stale food. His large meaty hand slammed down on the counter making a few stray glasses jump and rattle.

Said man put down the glass he was cleaning and forced his face into a pleasant smile. "Yes? What would you like?" He asked, his eyes closing. His mind trying to ignore the man's putrid breath that threatened to choke him.

"'Bout time you answered, anyway, gimmie a large rum" He all but barked out, his tongue running casually over his yellowing teeth.

Sabo simply nodded and turned to get the man's drink, once which was that the cup was rudely snatched off him and the money was thrown at him. Normally he would have something to say about this but right now he didn't want to start anything so he simply grabbed it up and watched as the man chugged down the alcohol, a few stray parts dribbling down his chin.

For the past few moments things were uneventful, Sabo sat on one of the bar stools with his knee up and his hands holding onto it, keeping it form falling while his gaze stared straight ahead. He wasn't looking on anything particular but rather thinking. A while ago he found out that the rude man who ordered the rum's name was Teach. Just teach. Must have been a surname or something but anyway, Sabo saw him looking kind of stressed out and frazzled like there was something on his mind. Teach kept checking the front door as if expecting someone to barge right in like he had done. Sabo seriously hoped not, he didn't want to deal with more ride guests.

A further few minutes past and this time, the large man had finished his drink and left. Sabo sighed and went on serving another less rude costumer.

….

Later that night, after everything was cleaned and put away, Sabo said his goodbyes and went on his way. He was glad, so fucking glad to get home and the best part was, he was off work until money. Thank goodness. He wondered if Ace was home as he began his long walk home, Ace borrowed his car after all…

Just has he was passing a metal fence a whimper caught his attention. He stopped for a brief moment and assumed his walking thinking it was nothing but a flash of red made him stop. He turned towards the dump behind the fence and peered in closer.

Nothing.

Just darkness and old junk but the flash of red still remained in his head, was it a bird or an animal perhaps? Once again the man tried to get on his way again only this time he heard a crash and a scared yelp coming from inside the dump.

Okay, whatever this was it was not an animal…

Normally Sabo would have just walked on but something was drawing him towards the sound, he walked into the dump and cringed at the smell and rotting food and wood that assaulted his senses.

Walking further he almost gasped as an old milk carton flew towards him but thankfully he dodged it before it came into contact with his head. "What the fu-" He only managed to get out before another milk carton flew right past him followed by other pieces of garbage. Soon the clean blond man was being pelted with junk.

"Shit, _enough_ already!" He hollered and lunched towards the thing hurling the materials, latching onto some cloth. Upon contact, the person screeched and pulled away from him with all its might. A frail hand swung a pipe towards its attacker. The blond man gasped as the pipe hit over the eye. He shouted and jumped back, his hand clutching the aching spot. He knew it would bruise but right now he was angry. Angry because some little assholes were obviously pranking him and he was NOT about to let them get away with it.

He launched forward again and grabbed at the bright red cloth and pulled the attacker back into him. "Listen here you little shit, do you think-" His words died in his throat upon seeing two large owlish eyes gaze up at him. They were terrified, looking all around him while their owner clawed desperately at Sabos arm.

"Oi are you okay?" He asked nervously, this boy (he was sure of the gender now) was sick and needed help. Was he living at the dump? "Shhh, it's okay, calm down" He attempted to sooth the boy he looked to be in his teens. This was futile however as the boy continued to claw and bite Sabos arm that was wrapped around his middle. The boy was injured judging from the way he winced when his left leg moved, Sabo knew the best thing to do was it call for help but right now the boy didn't look like he was calming down anytime soon.

Finally after seconds of struggling, the black haired boy grabbed the pipe that had fallen from his grasp and struck out once more.

It hit the back of Sabos head, making everything turn black. The last thing he remembered was how the teen backed up away from him and sprinted to another part of the dump.

Damn it, what was going on?

* * *

The black haired teen retreated towards another part of the dump, crawling through an old cars window and curling up onto the dirty plush seats. Who was that man? Did Teach send them to take him back? He didn't want to go back…not ever! He gripped his pipe harder in his hand and forced his owlish eyes to stay open just in case of another attack. His leg hurt from running but it was worth it to get away from that man, but something off. Why wasn't he shouting at him like all the others did? Was he…was he trying to help? No…

It was some kind of trick of course…

No matter what, he was not going to do back _there._ He would hide here all his life if he had to.

Tears welled up in his owlish brown eyes so he closed them, making the dribbles fall down his dirt smudged cheeks.

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Sorry if it was kind of short, .


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! Sorry that this chapter took forever...kind of but oh well its here now and I do apologize that its short, I mean it COULD have been longer but the next one will I promise. Please enjoy!**

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When Sabo came to in the early hours of the morning he had a killer headache, his eye where he had been struck a few hours ago throbbed painfully. Reaching up, his cold numb hand brushed the injury and he quickly flinched. "Shit!" He cussed silently, he was sure there was a mark of some sort there…

Just then images of last night came flooding back to him as soon has the blond man picked himself up off the ground. The boy. Where was he? Was he still around or…?

Wincing, he slowly stretched out and got to his feet shakily, he gazed around trying to find any sign of the strange boy. He wanted to help him, Sabo didn't know why though, he didn't know the kid but the boy was injured and alone and the blond was too nice for his own good…

Walking slowly around the dump his blue eyes scanned for any movement, if he was attacked again he would be ready…boy he really needed a shower he smelled and felt so bad.

Just then the familiar bright red blur caught the man's attention, with a wary smile, Sabo inched close to the cowering boy that was hiding behind some wrecked and beat up cars. "Morning" Sabo greeted with a small smile trying to look less threatening as possible. He crouched slightly and stalked closer to the boy. Now that he was up closer, he saw that the boy was wearing a red tattered dirty shirt, black shorts with nothing on his feet. His raven hair was messy and in need of a good trim and a wash, dried blood and dirt caked the boy's face and arms and every other visible part of his skin. This boy…who would do this?

"I'm Sabo, pleased to meet you" The blond tried again after receiving no response from the boy who just gazed at him owlishly. He held out his hand hoping the young boy would just take it but of course nothing. "D-Do you live here?" Damn it! He didn't mean to stutter! But just looking at this boy quivering and hunched behind some dirt…he just couldn't help himself. "Do you have a family-wait what?" Sabos eyes widened as he heard the most quiet words leave the boys chapped lips. "What did you say?" He asked again hopefully. The boy in question simply huffed and licked his lips before parting them for the second time that day. "S-Sorry"

Scratching at his cheek, Sabo couched down lower so he was at a better level with the boy. "Sorry? What for?" He asked feeling hopeful but also keeping his voice down. But the boy once again ignored him and opted for picking at a small scab on his arm, his eyes cast downward but also still alert.

Letting out a loud sigh, Sabo looked around the place. It was still the early hours of the morning so little to no cars or people wear out in the town. Maybe he should leave and come back later with help, that would probably be the best thing to do but who knows if the boy would even still be hear in a few hours? Damn it…why was it always Sabo who had to be caught into these sort of things. It was never Ace, he always had the good life…

"… _S-Sorry…"_

At that word, Sabos eyes perked back up and looked at the boy who seemed a little calmer now, he had stopped fidgeting and was now just staring at his feet, the look of guilt on his dirty pale face.

"For what, please tell me" Sabo urged, his eyes narrowing but the softness in them still remained.

Said boy huffed again and met Sabos gaze. "I hurt you…felt bad" He all but whispered, his tongue poking through his lips once again to lick at his dry lips.

This boy, what was his game? What was his story? One second he was attacking Sabo like a rabid hyena and the next he was a boy in need of comfort and relief, like, it was almost as if he desperately wanted Sabo to forgive him or he _needed_ to get his apology out.

But pushing those thoughts aside, turning back to the small boy the blond let a gentle and caring smile grace his lips. "No harm done buddy, now…are you hungry?" He watched as the ravenette perked up some, in fact Sabo could have sworn he saw relief flash in his large tired eyes. Hesitantly he nodded and looked away in sheer embarrassment. So it was best not to sit around and give the boy time to change his mind, Sabo stood up and held out a hand which the boy just stared at. His eyes gazing back and forth from it and Sabos face. "Come with me and I'll get you food?" The male asked, his plan was to get the boy food of course but he also wanted to take him to the closest hospital as well. "I won't know what food you like unless you come with me" He mentally sighed and cursed, if anyone walking by saw this-they would probably call the police and accuse him of kidnapping or something.

Finally after the longest staring contest, the boy finally budged but not before scurrying off somewhere to retrieve his pipe, the one that gave the blond the nasty swollen eye. It was then that the male and boy both walked out of the dump, unknowing of the effects that would soon follow.

….

' _What am I doing here? How stupid could I be, ugh maybe what they said is true…'_

' _I just met this guy and now this!? Well this sandwich does taste pretty good! How long had it been since I got a meal like this…who knows'_

' _I just wish these people would just stop staring at me! And why does this guy….Sabo keep looking at me? Ugh, he seems nice but they all were in the past then-'_

"Is there something wrong?" The man sitting across from the boy asked. Currently they both sat in a 24 hour diner just down the street from their meeting place. Sabo nursed a cup of coffee while the raven chomped down on a triangle shaped sandwich. People in the diner shot strange looks their way; apparently they were concerned by the shape the poor boy was in or the fact that he had a long metal pipe resting on his knee.

Shaking his head, he finished his sandwich and picked up his drink and took a largemouth full.

' _This guy, what's his game…why is he being so nice to me…I don't even know him'_

' _I don't trust him…what if he's working for them…what if this is all a big game and he's going to take me right back!'_

' _As soon as his guard is down…'I'm leaving!'_

Smiling at his train of thoughts, he started picking once again at a wound on his left thigh.

"Uhm, won't you tell me your name…I told you mine so it's only fair" Sabo laughed a little, still holding his hot cup in his hands. He really needed to get back home and rest he felt like crap but he needed to make sure the boy was in good hands first.

' _What's he playing at, so what if he told me his name. He should already know if he's working with them…'_ Shifting his gaze towards the wound he had given him, he winced at the sight. He was probably going to get punished for that one…

…

Sabo tilted his head to the side, trying to urge the boy to talk but so far he only uttered two words so far. Well…names could wait he just wanted to get the boy help.

"Well never mind, anyway…I want to take you to the hospital to get that leg and everything else checked out, is that okay-then after you can go back to the dump" He quickly added seeing the distressed look on the boy's face. "Won't you let me help you?"

And there it was again, the staring contest…

Sabo sighed and leaned back in his seat, he secretly thanked the Gods that he had nothing to do today because he had a feeling that this was going to take some time.

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 **Again im sorry that this chapter is crap and rushed but I really wanted to get an update out there for you guys and I got distracted, this is a set up for the next chapter ^^ But anyway I hope you enjoyed it anyway : )**

 _ **Review Replies ^^**_

 _ **Wordlet-Thank you for you kind review! Im glad your excited for this fic as much as I am! :D And I do hope I can impress you in later chapters :P**_

 _ **OctaveTea- Indeed poor Luffy :( But for some reason I find fics that have...what word should I use..tortured characters interesting. I don't know what it is :/ Ace WILL be mentioned in the next chapter ^^ Also Im looking forward to writing his character...its been so long since I have.. Once again that's for reviewing!**_

 _ **SilenceOfRain7-Thank you! I hope this fic will impress you and I hope you like it ^_^**_

 _ **Nala1220-I hope you like this fic :) Ill try my best otherwise XD also, Luffy is sort of a mute, he can speak but chooses not to if he can help it. Something from his past that will be shown later on. And their ages are, Luffy is-14, Sabo and Ace are both twenty-two ^^**_

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 _ **Thank you all for reviewing :3 Im sorry if the replies were kind of bland but Im not really that good with that sort of stuff.. err yeah Bye ^^**_


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